Automatic laundry treatment appliance with load height detection

ABSTRACT

An automatic laundry treating appliance having at least one sensor configured to detect the height of laundry in a treating chamber of the automatic laundry treating appliance is disclosed. Based upon the output of the sensors, a human-perceptible signal is generated to indicate whether the laundry load is below, within or above an optimal range for the laundry load. Further, the automatic laundry treating appliance may communicate to the user after completion of a drying function information related to whether the amount of laundry treated during the drying function exceeded an upper limit for an optimal amount of laundry based upon data acquired during the drying function.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating appliance having sensors to detect the size of the laundry load.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

An automatic laundry treating appliance that is configured to wash and dry laundry articles within the same chamber is referred to as a washing and drying combination machine or a washer/dryer combination or a washer/dryer combo. The amount of laundry treated by a washer/dryer combination materially affects its performance. For example, if the laundry load size is too small (i.e., a small number of articles), the laundry articles can become very wrinkled during the treating process. On the other hand, if the laundry load size is too large (i.e., a large number of articles), the washing treatment may not be as effective as desired.

Therefore, the inventors have recognized a need for a reliable system to determine the size of the laundry load as the laundry is being loaded into an automatic laundry treating appliance, and to guide the user to load an amount of laundry within an optimal range before the laundry treating process begins. Further, the inventors have recognized a need to provide post-treatment feedback to the user concerning optimization of the load size for future loads.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

An automatic laundry treating appliance, such as a washer/dryer combination, is disclosed. The automatic laundry treating appliance includes a treating chamber located inside the cabinet that is configured to receive laundry to be treated. The treating chamber may be defined by the interior of a drum configured to rotate about a horizontal axis. Where the automatic laundry treating appliance is a washer/dryer combination, the laundry can be both washed and dried in the treating chamber.

The automatic laundry treating appliance includes at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of the height of the laundry at a location within the treating chamber. Multiple sensors may be used to detect the height of the laundry at various locations within the treating chamber. The output of the sensor(s) can be used to calculate a parameter indicative of a percentage fill of the treating chamber. A communication device, such as a visual display or audible device, is configured to communicate to a user whether the percentage fill of the treating chamber is below, within or above a determined optimal range. In some embodiments the communication occurs prior to initiation of treatment of the laundry.

Further, in certain embodiments, data concerning the efficiency of a drying function of the automatic laundry treating appliance may be acquired during the drying function and used to provide feedback information through the communication device to the user and/or to adjust the determined optimal range.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a washer/dryer combination according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a closer up front perspective view of the treating chamber and sensors of the washer/dryer combination of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sensors mounted within the tub of the washer/dryer combination of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a functional diagram of components of the washer/dryer combination of FIG. 1 involved in the determination of laundry load size and communication of such to a user, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the functional aspects of the algorithm used to determine the percentage of the drum filled by the laundry load.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1-3 show a laundry treating appliance in accordance with the present disclosure, which is a horizontal axis automatic clothes washing and drying combination machine 10. Although much of the remainder of this application will focus on the embodiment of the horizontal axis automatic clothes washing and drying combination machine 10 (also referred to as a “washer/dryer combo” or “washer/dryer combination”), the present disclosure encompasses other environments, including other horizontal axis laundry treating appliances such as a laundry washing machine and/or a laundry dryer.

The washer/dryer combination 10 shares many features of a conventional washer/dryer combination, which will not be described in detail herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure. For purposes of this disclosure, a laundry load is understood to include one or more articles. An article includes, but is not limited to, a hat, a scarf, a glove, a sweater, a blouse, a shirt, a pair of shorts, a dress, a sock, and a pair of pants, a shoe, an undergarment, and a jacket, for example, as well as other items conventionally treated in an automatic laundry treating appliance.

The washer/dryer combination 10 comprises a cabinet 12 that defines an interior. The cabinet 12 can be a housing having a chassis and/or a frame, defining the interior, enclosing components typically found in a conventional washing machine, such as motors, pumps, fluid lines, controls, sensors, transducers, heating elements and the like. Such components will not be described further herein except as necessary for a complete understanding of the disclosure.

A tub 14 is located within the interior of the cabinet 12. A drum 16 is positioned inside of the tub 14 and rotatably mounted to the tub 14 or cabinet 12. The drum 14 rotates around a generally horizontal axis. The drum 16 defines a treating chamber 18 for receiving laundry.

A door 20 can be movably mounted to the cabinet 12 to selectively close an opening 22 to the treating chamber 18. The door 20 can have a handle 24 for pivotally opening the door about a hinge 26. A bellows 28 is positioned between the opening 22 and the drum 16. Laundry can be both washed and dried in the treating chamber 18.

The washer/dryer combination 10 includes one or more sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B configured to detect a height of the laundry in the treating chamber 18. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B may be positioned within or near the treating chamber 18. Sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B may be mounted to a non-rotating portion of washer/dryer combination 10, such as to the tub 14 or bellows 28.

Preferably, each sensor 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B is a time-of-flight (“TOF”) sensor that emits a light wave that is directed to the laundry. The light wave is reflected by the laundry back to the TOF sensor. The TOF sensor generates a signal indicative of a distance between the laundry and the sensor based upon the amount of time it takes for the light wave to travel to the laundry, reflect from the laundry, and be received by the sensor. Preferably, the sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B are positioned such that each sensor detects the height of the laundry at a different location within the treating chamber 18. The collective outputs of the sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B can be used to estimate the overall laundry load in the treating chamber 18 (the “percentage drum fill”). In one embodiment, the determined heights of the laundry at various locations within the treating chamber 18 are averaged together to estimate an average laundry height, which can be used to calculate a parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage.

Though FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the use of six sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B, any number of sensors could be used and they could be mounted in various manners and locations, provided they are able to detect the height of laundry within the treating chamber 18. Further, sensors other than TOF sensors could be used, including without limitation, ultrasonic sensors, stereo cameras, and structured light cameras.

FIG. 4 illustrates a functional diagram of components of the washer/dryer combination 10 involved in the determination of the percentage drum fill and actions taken in response thereto. Washer/dryer combination 10 includes a controller 30 in communication with sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B, a visual display 34 and/or an audible device 32. The visual display 34 may be a display screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an light emitting diode (LED) display, or any other type of indicator that is visible to a user. The audible device may be a speaker, buzzer, chime or any other device capable of generating an audible sound.

FIG. 5 illustrates the functionality of the system. In operation, each sensor 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B generates output signals indicative of a distance between the sensor and the height of the laundry at a particular location within the treating chamber 18 at a given time. The outputs of the sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B for a given time are illustrated in FIG. 5 in the Captured Depth Map 110. The output signals of the sensors are communicated to the controller 30. The controller 30 uses the outputs of the sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B to calculate a parameter indicative of the percentage drum fill as follows. First, the controller 30 calculates an average laundry distance 120 by averaging the distance sensed by each sensor 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B. Each sensor can be equally or unequally weighted in the average calculation. The calculated average laundry distance is buffered at 130. A certain number of calculated average laundry distances, e.g., 5, are saved for filtering to remove noise and detect activity. Next, at 140, “activity”, such as the user putting laundry into the drum, is detected, the result of which can be used as a criteria as to when to display the calculated drum fill percentage to the user. At 150, a low pass filter is used to remove spikes in the average distance data. Then, at 160, a parametric regression function is used to calculate an average drum fill percentage from the average distance data received from the sensors 25A-B, 26A-B and 27A-B. In one embodiment, an exponential function is used between roughly 0% fill to 60% fill, and a linear function is used between roughly 60% fill to 100% fill. If “activity” is determined to be low (at 170), then the a drum fill percentage is displayed to the user on the visual display 34.

The controller 30 determines whether the drum fill percentage is within a determined optimal range. If so, then the controller 30 may cause a visual and/or audible indictor to be generated by the visual display 34 and/or the audible device 32 that is indicative that the laundry load is within the optimal range. If not, then the controller 30 determines whether the drum fill percentage is below or above the lower or upper limits, as applicable, of the optimal range. The lower and upper limits of the optimal range may be determined in a variety of ways. For example, the lower and upper limits of the optimal range may be predetermined based upon empirical data or otherwise. The lower and upper limits may also be determined or adjusted/modified based upon feedback data acquired by various sensors within the washer/dryer combination 10.

If the drum fill percentage is below the lower limit of the optimal range, the controller 30 may cause the visual display 34 and/or audible device 32 to generate indicators of such. Such indicators can also be provided through an app on a mobile electronic device, such as a smart phone. Similarly, if the drum fill percentage is above the upper limit of the optimal range, the controller 30 may cause the visual display 34 and/or audible device 32 (and/or mobile electronic device) to generate indicators of such. The visual and/or audible indicators of the laundry load height being: (i) within the optimal range, (ii) below the lower limit of the optimal range, and (iii) above the upper limit of the optimal range are preferably all different from each other. Preferably, the “below optimal range” indicator is configured to prompt the user to add additional laundry articles to the treating chamber 18, and the “above optimal range” indicator is configured to prompt the user to remove articles of laundry from the treating chamber 18. One function of the system is to guide the user to put an amount of laundry articles into the treating chamber 18 that fall within a determined optimal range prior to initiating treatment of the laundry articles.

In addition to or in lieu of the above-described method, the controller 30 can be configured to determine whether the load was within an optimal range after completion of the drying function of the washer/dryer combination 10 and provide post-completion visual or audible feedback to the user. For example, the controller 30 may be configured to monitor the elapsed time required to dry the load to a desired level. If the elapsed time exceeds a determine threshold, such as 1 hour for example, it may be determined that the load size exceeded the upper limit of the optimal load size. Other methods and/or sensors may be used to acquire data during or after the drying process to assess whether the actual load size was optimal for the drying function.

If it is determined that the actual load size exceeded the upper limit of the optimal load size based upon the acquired data, then post-completion feedback can be provided to the user through the visual display 34 and/or the audio device 32 or through other communication methods, such as through an app on a mobile electronic device. Examples of post-completion feedback can include efficiency data of the drying function, potential energy/cost savings possible through load size reduction, monthly reports on same, as well as various tips and tricks for improving drying efficiency and results. Further, the determination of whether the amount of laundry exceeded the upper limit of an optimal amount of laundry for the drying function can be used as feedback data by controller 30 to adjust the upper limit of the optimal range of laundry applied in the method described above and in connection with FIG. 5.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic laundry treating appliance, comprising: a cabinet; a treating chamber located inside the cabinet, the treating chamber configured to receive laundry; at least one sensor mounted in the automatic laundry treating appliance and configured to generate a signal indicative of a height of the laundry at a location within the treating chamber; and a communication device configured to communicate to a user whether the height of the laundry in the treating chamber is below, within or above a determined optimal range.
 2. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the communication device is at least one of a visual display and an audible device.
 3. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a time of flight (TOF) sensor.
 4. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is multiple sensors.
 5. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is multiple time of flight (TOF) sensors.
 6. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the communication device is configured to communicate to a user whether the amount of laundry in the treating chamber is below, within or above a determined optimal range before initiation of treatment of the laundry.
 7. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the treating chamber is defined by a drum that rotates about a horizontal axis.
 8. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor is mounted to a non-rotating portion of the automatic laundry treating appliance.
 9. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 8, further comprising a tub located within the cabinet, and wherein the at least one sensor is mounted to the tub.
 10. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 8, further comprising a bellows positioned between a tub and an opening in the automatic laundry treating appliance configured to permit the passage of laundry, and wherein the last one sensor is mounted to the bellows.
 11. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 7, wherein the automatic laundry treating appliance is configured to wash and dry laundry in the treating chamber.
 12. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 1, wherein the communication device is further configured to communicate to a user at the completion of a drying function information related to whether the amount of the laundry treated was more than an optimal amount of laundry based upon data acquired during the drying function.
 13. The automatic laundry treating appliance in claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the determined optimal range based upon the data acquired during the drying function.
 14. An automatic washer/dryer combination appliance, comprising: a cabinet; a drum located inside the cabinet and configured to rotate about a horizontal axis; a treating chamber defined by the interior of the drum, the automatic washer/dryer combination being configured to both wash and dry laundry received in the treating chamber; a plurality of time of flight (TOF) sensors mounted on a non-rotating portion of the automatic washer/dryer combination appliance and positioned to detect a height of the laundry at various locations within the treating chamber; and a communication device configured to generate a human-perceptible signal related to the load size of the laundry prior to initiation of washing of the laundry.
 15. A method of indicating laundry load size in an automatic laundry treating appliance, comprising: determining the height of laundry in a treating chamber of the automatic laundry treating appliance; calculating a parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage from the height of the laundry; determining whether the drum fill percentage is below, within, or above an optimal range. generating a human-perceptible signal indicative of whether the parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage is below, within, or above the optimal range before treatment of the laundry.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the human-perceptible signal is at least one of a visual signal and an audible signal.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage comprises calculating an average laundry height by averaging the output signals of multiple sensors configured to determine the height of the laundry at locations within the treating chamber.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the parameter indicative of a drum fill percentage further comprises applying a parametric regression function to the average laundry height.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor is a time of flight (TOF) sensor.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor comprises multiple sensors.
 21. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of communicating to a user at the completion of a drying function information related to whether the amount of the laundry treated was more than an optimal amount of laundry based upon data acquired during the drying function.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of adjusting the determined optimal range based upon the data acquired during the drying function. 